Tempers flare during sit-in at student government assn. at UTM

Student Government Association senate member Alex Joyner and president Jordan Long answer questions from a crowd of students gathered Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, for a sit-in in front of the Student Government Association offices at UT Martin. (Photo: Morgan Timms, Morgan Timms / The Jackson Sun)Buy Photo

MARTIN – What was planned as a peaceful protest turned into a volatile discussion between two groups with different views met in front of the Student Government Association offices on the campus of UT Martin Tuesday afternoon.

“I planned on this being a silent sit-in, but it turned into more,” said Devin Majors, a student at UTM who helped organize the protest.

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UT Martin students demand answers from Student Government Association senate member Alex Joyner on Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, during a sit-in in front of the Student Government Association offices at UT Martin. (Photo: Morgan Timms, Morgan Timms / The Jackson Sun)

The issue at hand was the decision by the SGA Senate to vote to pass Resolution 1708, which approved of concealed carry for weapons on UTM’s campus.

The issue was first brought up in October but tabled for a referendum of the student population a week earlier on Dec. 5. Fifty-five percent of 1,431 students – about 20 percent of the total enrollment at UTM – voted against concealed carry.

Two days later on Dec. 7, the senate voted 17-10 to pass the bill.

“We failed the university on Thursday,” said former senate speaker John Hayes, who recused himself from the vote because he’s the president of the Democratic student group on campus and was ultimately removed from his position due to a vote of no-confidence by the senate.

Alex Joyner sponsored the original bill for the resolution in October, and Jade Sbelski sponsored last week’s bill that was a revised version of the earlier one.

The pair faced a crowd of about 50 people visibly upset with the decision of the senate.

“The bill proposed students who are 21 years old and pass a series of exams be allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus,” Joyner said.

Joyner was questioned about alleged social media posts and released texts with racist overtones.

“I’m not a racist. I think every student should be allowed the opportunity to protect themselves if they choose to and pass the requirements,” Joyner told people questioning him.

David Barber, a history professor at UTM, was vocal in his disagreement with the vote.

“These people passed a decision they were told not to pass, and it’s not right,” Barber said.

“The administration needs to step in and tell the SGA that this isn’t right and they need to make changes to how things are done,” Majors said in an interview prior to the demonstration.

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Students gather around Student Government Association senate member Alex Joyner on Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, during a sit-in in front of the Student Government Association offices at UT Martin. UT Martin student Starkeisha McClinton asked Joyner if he knew what it felt like to be racially outnumbered. "I used to feel safe at Martin," McClinton said. "But for anyone to be able to bring guns on campus, I don't feel safe anymore."(Photo: Morgan Timms, Morgan Timms / The Jackson Sun)

UTM Chancellor Dr. Keith Carver said the school's administration will let the process play out among the students as long as everyone remains civil.

“Student government offers students opportunities for involvement in the democratic process," Carver said in a statement. "This is a difficult issue, and strong opinions exist on both sides.

"Our administration supports letting the process work, which provides valuable experience for students to become more engaged citizens.”

Tennessee state law prohibits concealed carry on every college campus in the state.

SGA president Jordan Long said he’s confident that law will change at some point in the future as he signed the document to pass the bill in front of the protestors.

“It’s against the law, so any decision we make as students won’t change it,” Hayes said about the situation. “But the way this was done – the way this senate went against its constituents – it’s not right.”

Reach Brandon Shields at bjshields@jacksonsun.com or at 731-425-9751. Follow him on Twitter @JSEditorBrandon or on Instagram at editorbrandon.